I was something of a card shark in my youth. Well alright, I was the mistress of Spit and Whot and knew a magic trick or two.
But I have many happy memories of whiling away the hours – in the era before video games and Internet – playing card games with family and friends.
Cartamundi, one of the leading makers of card games including their top seller Royal Flush, sent us a set of 4 packs of Children’s Card Games to review: Happy Families, Farmyard Donkey, Jungle Snap and Pairs on Wheels. Each set can be used interchangeably to play a Pairs or Memory game.
All the games are aimed at kids ages 4+, but I’d already introduced Jed to Snap some months before he turned 3.
Jungle Snap is a brilliant game to play with toddlers as it teaches them character/object recognition and simple rules. Plus if they’re anything like mine, they’ll love yelling ‘Snap’ at the top of their lungs when they spot two matching animals.
Pairs on Wheels is also easy to play and lots of fun. It’s great for improving your total recall – I was actually blown away by the babes’ short-term memory compared to mine (it’s all those years of sleep deprivation, I tell ya). The fact that the pictures are all vehicles gives the boys an added advantage… or that’s my excuse anyway.
Happy Families was a tougher call for Jed as you need to be able to read the names on the cards. Still, with a little help from mama, he was able to join in the game. Things got pretty heated at Casa Babes in our first match, resulting in a mini meltdown by the loser (no, it wasn’t me).
But as the 2012 Games showed us, there’s nothing wrong with a little competition even if it all ends in tears!
All in all, however, I’d call Cartamundi card games a win-win for family fun. They’re portable for travel, excellent value for money and can be enjoyed by almost any age.
The only set we’ve not yet played is Farmyard Donkey, as the rules seem a little more complex – or maybe I can’t be ‘assed’ to figure them out!
Happy Families, Farmyard Donkey, Jungle Snap and Pairs on Wheels, only 99p each are all available at Cartamundi www.cartamundi.com
